IMPETUS

The IMPETUS project built on tested technologies but enhanced and combined them in a coherent and user-centred solution that went beyond state-of-the-art in key areas such as detection, simulation & analysis and intervention.

IMPETUS provided city authorities with new means to address security issues in public spaces using data gathered from a city-wide lattice of cameras, environmental sensors and multiple interconnected AI systems that control key infrastructures within a Smart City. IMPETUS would help to protect citizens against the unethical use of personal data and facilitate threat detection by assisting with physical and cyber security management.

A distinguishing feature of IMPETUS is that its approach is not purely technological; it provides a solution that operates at the intersection of three areas:

• Technology: leverage the power of Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and Big Data to provide powerful tools that help operational personnel manage physical and cyber security in smart cities.
• Ethics: Balance potentially conflicting needs to collect, transform and share large amounts of data with the imperative of ensuring protection of data privacy and respect for other ethical concerns - all in the context of ensuring benefits to society.
• Processes: Define the steps that operational personnel must take, and the assessments they need to make, for effective decision making and coordination - fully aligned with their individual context and the powerful support offered by the technology.

Why

Advanced technological solutions to collect, analyse and use data in security operations offer great potential to improve safety in cities. But they cannot just be used “straight out of the box”: numerous issues related to ethics, data privacy, cyber security and operational practices must be addressed to enable successful deployment and long-term operational impact.

The project gave Oslo a good opportunity to explore and gain knowledge about advanced security systems using artificial intelligence and understand how it will affect citizens, employees and the organization. Key result for the agency is the practitioners guide that provides valuable knowledge addressing these challenges.

Oslo’ role

Oslo was one of two testbeds in the project. The IMPETUS platform went through two stages of testing in Oslo. Significantly was a live exercise test – over 200 people participated in the exercise and almost 100 people from emergency planning collaborators and the consortium could spectate the exercise from the roof of the City Hall.

Multiple city districts, agencies and companies at the City of Oslo contributed in addition to the Police, Oslo University Hospital, and the King’s Guard. It was the first time the City Hall was used as venue for a large-scale exercise in an EU-project.

Partners

The consortium consisted of 16 partners from 11 different European Union members and associated countries. It brought together five research institutions, six specialist industrial and SME companies, three NGOs and two local municipalities.

Research institutions

• SINTEF (Coordinator)
• Institut Mines-Telecom
• Universite De Nimes
• CINI – National inter-university consortium for informatics
• University of Padova

Partner cities

• City of Oslo
• City of Padova

Industry & SME

• SIMAVI – Software imagination & vision
• THALES
• Cinedit VA GMBH
• Insikt intelligence S.L
• Sixgill LTD
• UNISMART

NGO’S

• BMA – Entrepreneurship development centre for biotechnology and medicine
• ISP – Institute for security policies
• The international emergency management society

The consortium was complemented by COSSEC (Community of Safe and Secure Cities) - a group of end-users and other stakeholders who provided feedback on IMPETUS operations.

Contact

Agency for emergency planning: postmottak@ber.oslo.kommune.no
Project website: www.impetus-project.eu

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 883286. The contents of this website are the sole responsibility of the City of Oslo and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union or the Research Executive Agency.